Together
by sball6
Summary: He hated funerals. But after hearing about his ex-girlfriend's dad passing away he decides to go for support. He just wishes that he could change what happened between them and maybe this wouldn't be so hard.
1. Chapter 1

**_Disclaimer: I do not own anyone except Sofia. I hope you all enjoy and please review! Thanks!_**

"Alex!" Chris Sabin yelled down the narrow hallway of the Can Am Wrestling School. "Shelley! Where are you going?" He hoped his best friend would at least turn around and answer the question, but his hope was erased as the front door slammed shut behind him.

"Where's Alex going?" Chris turned to see Scott D'Amore, owner of Can Am Wrestling School, leaning against the wall. Scott was like a second father to both him and Alex. He had helped both kids from Detroit live out their dreams as professional wrestlers.

"I don't know." Chris said shrugging. "He's been in one of those moods since Saturday. He almost hurt himself during the match on Monday. And he really hasn't said much to anyone."

"If he comes back I'll talk to him."

"Thanks Scott." Chris grabbed the newspaper off the desk. He sat down on the couch in the office and started flipping through. "Oh shit!"

"What?" Scott asked looking up from the paperwork he had just started.

"I don't think you need to ask him anymore. I figured it out. Do you remember Shelley's ex-girlfriend Sofia?" Scott nodded.

"Yea, they've been separated for a year right?"

"Yea, that ex-girlfriend."

"She was a cool girl. Why do you ask?"

"Alex was really close with her father. In fact, her dad was very involved in his wrestling career, even after they broke up. I don't think he blamed Alex for anything in the break-up."

"Wasn't it all Alex's fault?"

"He says it was. I don't actually know all the details. He always thought it was weird that her dad still called."

"So what does this have to do with Alex's strange mood?"

"This…" Chris said walking over and setting the newspaper down. He pointed to the article he had been reading.

"Former Mayor of Detroit, William Donaldson, passed away Saturday morning after getting shot at a local Windsor park Friday afternoon. Donaldson was visiting his daughter who coaches softball in the area. He is preceded in death by both his parents, Artie and Rose, and also his wife, Margaret. He is survived by his daughter, Sofia and brother, Glenn. Scott read part of the article out loud. "No wonder Shelley is so upset. It says that they are still looking for clues into the incident. Did you know her mom was dead?"

"Yea, I did. She killed herself about 3 years ago while he was still in office."

At the park

Alex couldn't believe this was actually real. He couldn't believe that Sofia's dad was dead. He had just talked to him a month ago when he ran into him at the grocery store. It still surprised him that he still talked to him after everything that had happened between him and Sofia. She had never told him the truth about the break-up, which was good for him. If Mr. Donaldson had known the truth there is no way that he would EVER talk to him. He pulled out his cell phone and scrolled down until he reached Sofia's information. He wanted to call her and tell her how sorry he was to hear about her dad, but he was probably the last person she wanted to ever talk to.

**Flashback**

_**"Hey Shelley, who is the whore that you've been hanging out with lately?" Alex turned to look at the wrestler that had asked the question. He didn't know the guy for long, but already didn't like him.**_

_**"Her name is Sofia. Let's just wrestle." He wasn't in the mood to talk about his girlfriend. They had a fight before he came to the gym and he was still trying to figure out what had actually happened between them. After about 10 minutes of training the big oaf brought her up again.**_

_**"So are you two a thing? " Alex rolled his eyes. He hated stupid people and this guy was being really stupid. Most everyone in the wrestling community knew that Sofia Donaldson had been going out with Alex for almost a year and a half and they had been friends for a while before that.**_

_**"Isn't she the ex-mayor's daughter?" Another wrestler asked as he climbed into the ring.**_

_**"Holy shit! She is!" The first guy yelled. Alex sat there trying to remember his name, but jackass was the only thing to pop in his head. He really wished that Chris was there. Chris was better at this part of the training procedure. He decided it was best to just ignore both of the men in the ring before it got both of them beaten up. "That is one messed up family right there."**_

_**"Hey, be nice." The second guy said as he got off the mat from the bump he had just taken from Alex.**_

_**"It's true. Didn't the mom kill herself like a year ago? I heard it was because the girl was such a bitch to her and really just a pain in the ass."**_

_**"How about you two just shut the fuck up and wrestle." It was more of a statement than a question, but Alex was starting to get pissed. He wasn't in the mood to have his time wasted. Before he could say anything he saw a movement to see Sofia running from the gym. **_

"_**Shit!" Alex said as he massaged his temples. This was not what he needed right now. He jumped out of the ring and followed Sofia outside. He found her sitting against the building with her face in her hands. He could tell by the movement of her shoulders that she was crying and it broke his heart. When he reached her he sat down and put his arm around her shoulder. Her next move surprised him more than anything. **_

"_**Don't touch me!" She yelled as she pushed his arm away.**_

"_**Sof…everything is going to be okay." He tried again, but she only pushed him away.**_

"_**How long were you going to just sit there and let them talk shit about my family? About me?"**_

"_**How much did you hear?"**_

"_**I asked you first Alex." There was his answer. Just by her expression he could tell she heard every word the jackass had said.**_

"_**I didn't let them talk, it just happened." Even his own words didn't sound right…or true.**_

"_**You didn't let them? It just happened?" The words were like venom. She sounded so hurt, but Alex could only nod. The next look brought feelings he had never felt before. "Then why didn't you at least defend me?"**_

Alex felt his tears welling at the memory of the day he lost the girl of his dreams. He blamed himself completely. She was so upset that he had let them call her a whore and talk about her mom the way they had that he didn't even have an argument when she broke up with him. Sure, he had tried a few times to call and apologize, but she told him that she couldn't trust him anymore. And trust was her biggest factor. She never knew who she could trust in her life. He wasn't sure how long he had been sitting there remembering all the times he had with Sofia when a familiar voice broke his thoughts.

"Alex Shelley?" He turned around to see Sofia's best friend Megan standing by a tree. Her sad smile comforted him as he stood and gave her a hug.

"Hey Megan. How ya doing?" She looked towards the bleachers that still had police tape surrounding them and then looked down at her shoes. "I'm sorry, that was a pretty stupid question." He pulled her in for another hug. "How's Sofia doing?" He whispered into her hair. Megan pushed away and sat down on the bench Alex had previously occupied.

"As well as one can expect from someone whose father was just shot in front of them." She paused and Alex could tell she was fighting back the tears. "It's hard to believe that Mr. Donaldson is gone, right?"

"Yea, it is." Alex said taking a seat next to the girl he once considered a good friend. Now they were merely acquaintances, but then again it was his fault. "Were you there?"

"Not when he was shot, but I was at the hospital with Sofi when he passed away. She took it hard." The tears started and Alex could tell there was something more. "Are you coming to the visitation or funeral?" She had changed the subject on him. That was another pet peeve of his. He hated when he knew there was something more to a story but people decided it wasn't important enough to share.

"I don't know." He said honestly. "I doubt Sofia wants me there. We haven't talked in a year."

"I know you guys ended on a not very good note, but you were good friends with her dad. And even if she won't admit it she still loves you. She could use all the support she can get." Alex nodded.

"When is the visitation?"

"It is tomorrow night from 4 until 9. And then the funeral is the next day at 11 at St. Luke's." She paused briefly before standing up. "Please come Alex…she needs you." With that she left as quickly as she came.


	2. Chapter 2

**_**Sorry for the short chapter. I have more coming, but I just have to type them out. Again, I only own Sofia. Hope you enjoy!**_**

Back at the school

Chris set his phone down on the arm of the couch. He had tried calling Alex almost 10 times over the past 2 hours, but Alex had not answered or returned any call. He was just about to go look for him when the front door opened. When Alex walked in Chris could tell he had been crying. He had known Alex for 10 years and couldn't ever remember seeing him cry.

"Hey," he said as Alex sat down on the couch next to him.

"Sofia's dad died on Saturday morning." His face was blank, but Chris could hear the grief in his best friend's voice.

"Yea, I read it in the newspaper earlier. You okay?"

"I don't know. I don't think it's actually sunk in yet." He paused for a second to catch his breath. "Would you come to the visitation with me tomorrow night?"

"Yea, of course I'll go with you. What about the funeral?"

"I don't know about the funeral yet. Let's see if I can make it through the visitation."

"Okay, what time were you thinking about going?"

"I was thinking right away at 4:00."

"Do you want to go together or should I meet you there?"

"Um, just meet me there at 4:00."

"All right…" he paused and patted Alex on the back. "You know if you wanna talk about it, I'm here to listen." Even though Alex didn't say anything Chris knew he heard him. He saw the small nod before silence overtook the room. They sat quietly for a few minutes before Alex spoke up.

"Did you know that Mr. Donaldson came to Victory Road for our title shot?"

"No, you never told me that."

"I didn't know he was there until he called me that night. We went out for breakfast the next day. He told me that he was proud of us for finally bringing the titles to Detroit."

"He was a good man."

"Yea he was." He paused and Chris knew there was something more on Alex's mind. After another minute of silence Chris decided to pull out the big guns.

"Pat…" Alex looked at his friend. He only used his real name when he needed him to be extremely serious. "Talk to me." Alex cleared his throat. The lump was making it hard to talk.

"I can't help but feel like this is partly my fault."

"What?" The tone of Chris' voice was pure shock. "How do you figure ANY of this is your fault?" He emphasized the 'any' part to try and get his point across that Alex had done nothing.

"If I had just defended Sofia when I should have we wouldn't have broken up."

"So…" Chris didn't get what Alex was saying.

"So…she wouldn't have moved to Windsor, had a softball game, and lost her dad."

"You don't know any of that Alex. What's to say you wouldn't have broken up?" Alex reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small box. Chris couldn't believe what he was seeing. Alex opened it and Chris was speechless.

"I was going to marry her. That morning we got in a fight about our plans for the weekend. I had told her that I couldn't go out with her on Saturday night because I already had other plans."

"What were your plans?" Chris asked very curious. He had never heard in-depth details of the break-up.

"I was meeting with her dad to ask him if I could marry her. We were going to have supper, but I cancelled after we broke up and never told anyone what I had been planning."

"Wow! That adds so much more to the story. Do you always carry the ring with you?"

"No…I mean…I use to, but now I keep it in a box of all her things."

"Why do you have it now?" Alex shrugged.

"I don't know exactly. I was going through the box and took it out." After that Chris remained silent and Alex knew that the questions were done…at least for a while. He was grateful for a friend like Chris.


	3. Chapter 3

**_***Here is the next chapter. Again, I only own Sofia and her dad. Thanks to everyone for reading! It makes me happy to see the views and comments. Enjoy!***_**

The Next Day

Alex sat in the parking lot of the funeral home in Plymouth, Michigan. He was an hour earlier than he told Chris, but sitting at home by himself didn't seem like a good idea. Memories of Sofia and her dad had been replaying in his mind since his conversation with Chris the day before.

Chris had been calling and texting all day. He wasn't even sure how many texts Chris had sent asking if he was okay. His last message told Chris that he was fine and was going to turn off his phone if he didn't stop asking. Chris replied back with and 'ok' and that was the last one he got…from him. His mom had called him a few times, but she only got a text message too. He just wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone.

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He wasn't use to the nicer dress pants and button-up shirt he was wearing, but for Mr. Donaldson and Sofia he would. But he knew it wasn't just the clothes that were making him uncomfortable. The thought of seeing Sofia again scared him and the reason why he was going to see her made his heart break. Not even music was helping calm his nerves like it usually did. He sat quietly in the car as he went over what he would say to Sofia when he saw her, but nothing seemed like it would mean anything. A knock on the window caused Alex to jump at the sound. He looked over and saw Chris looking at him. Alex unlocked the doors and noticed it was already almost 4. The time just flew. Chris climbed in and smiled weakly.

"How long have you been here?" Alex shrugged.

"Almost an hour I guess."

"Figure anything out?" Chris knew him really well.

"I don't know if I can go in there Chris."

"Yes you can Alex. You need this as much as Sofia does." Alex looked over at Chris.

"How do you know Sofia needs this?" The look on Chris' face made Alex nervous.

"I ran into her last night."

"You ran into her last night? Where did you run into Sofia?" Alex was shocked that Chris had actually seen her…the girl he missed so much.

"I was driving home and I saw her sitting outside of her dad's house. So I stopped and we talked for a few minutes."

"What did she say?"

"Not much…until I mentioned that you were coming to the visitation."

"What do you mean Chris? Was she upset about it?"

"Let's go in Alex." Chris got up and started into the funeral home. He didn't even give Alex any idea of what Sofia might have said. The nerves finally got to Alex. He reached for the keys, but wound up with only air. He looked down and noticed the ignition was empty. He looked towards the funeral home and saw Chris holding his keys.

"Damnit Chris!" Alex muttered as he climbed out of the car and walked over to his friend.

"I thought you'd try and leave plus I think you need to go in there."

"Why Chris?" But again Chris just walked away and through the front doors. Alex took a deep breath and followed his best friend inside.

There was already a fairly long line when Alex and Chris got to the room, but it didn't surprise either one of them. William Donaldson was a good man and a good mayor. If he wasn't so concerned with Sofia, the people of Detroit would still have had him in office. But Sofia and his family always came first in his book. And after everything that happened with Sofia's mom he knew that he had to put Sofia first.

Even though Sofia, her uncle, and his wife were the only people in the visiting line it moved slowly. Alex couldn't even get a good look at the girl he had once thought he would marry. About 10 minutes later the line had moved enough for Alex to finally catch a glimpse of Sofia. And when he did his breath got caught in his throat. He hadn't thought it was possible for her to be any more beautiful than when they were going out, but the woman standing in the front of the room was 10 times more beautiful. Her short dirty blonde hair had grown out past her shoulders and it was darker than before. She had put on a few more pounds, but Alex could tell she was at a healthy weight. He was happy that she was looking as good as she did given the circumstances.

"She looks pretty good right Alex?" Alex knew what Chris meant and his mind shifted to another time.

_**Flashback**_

_**"Hey Mr. Donaldson." Alex said when the mayor opened the front door.**_

_**"Morning Alex. Sofia is upstairs sleeping still. You can go up there." Alex walked up the stairs quietly making sure to not wake up his girlfriend in case she was still actually sleeping. She hadn't been sleeping well since her mom had killed herself. Alex had been over to the house every day for the past 3 weeks and Sofia just wasn't herself. She rarely talked and barely touched her food. He couldn't even remember the last time she ate a decent meal.**_

_**When he got to her room he noticed that a breakfast tray was sitting outside the door and it was empty. He smiled as he knocked on the door knowing his girlfriend was trying to get better. There was no answer, but he poked his head in anyway. She wasn't in the room, but he noticed the bathroom door was shut. He went to knock at the door so he wouldn't scare her when the noise coming from inside the bathroom stopped him. He listened a little closer and realized that she was throwing up. He knocked and walked in before she could answer. The surprise on her face was prominent, but Alex could also see sadness and pain. **_

_**"Alex? What are you doing here?" She asked starting to get up. Alex was right by her side as she lost her balance. He could tell that she was dizzy from throwing up.**_

_**"I was just going to ask you the same question Sofi."**_

_**"Um…there must have been some bad fruit on my tray this morning."**_

_**"Let's get you back to bed." Alex said as he helped her back into her bed. He noticed the window to her bedroom was open. "Sof, why is your window open? It's like 4 degrees outside with a wind chill of like negative 30." **_

_**"Oh, um…" Sofia started to explain as Alex went to shut the window. When he looked out he noticed there was food on the ground below. He turned around and noticed how sickly Sofia actually looked and it wasn't the flu sick.**_

_**"You didn't eat all your breakfast…did you? And please don't lie to me." With those words Alex knew the grieving process was going to be a hell of a lot harder than anyone imagined.**_

The line had moved a little more and Alex could remember the defeat in Sofia's voice as she told him that she was making herself throw-up because she felt it was her fault that her mom had killed herself. She thought she was fat. It didn't make sense to him then or now. She had never been fat and if he would have heard anyone say she was he would have kicked their ass. They had worked hard on her perspective of why her mom committed suicide and the real reason it happened. Alex had told her father about her feelings and he showed her the note from her mom explaining that it was too hard to keep going with all the medical problems surrounding her sickness. It took Sofia a long time before she stopped blaming herself for what happened, even with the note from her mom. Now Alex just prayed she didn't blame herself for her father's death too.


	4. Chapter 4

**_****Disclaimer: I only own Sofia. I hope you all enjoy!****_**

They were now less than 10 people away. Chris had gone in front of him, but he still wanted to turn and run the other way. He glanced at his watch and saw that it was only 4:30. He felt like they had been in line for at least an hour. Alex watched as one person after another gave Sofia a hug and he couldn't help but feel even worse about their break-up. If he hadn't been an ass, he'd be up there right now with her helping her through everything going on in her life.

"Thank you for coming Alex." Alex heard Sofia's aunt say as she pulled him in closer.

"Sorry to hear about Mr. Donaldson." She gave him a weak smile and turned to the person behind him. He had always liked her aunt, but he rarely ever saw her.

The next person he came up to was Glenn Donaldson, younger brother of the ex-mayor. He had met him a few years before Sofia had agreed to go out with him. He was nothing like his brother, but Alex wasn't worried about him right now. He extended his hand to the man who shook it firmly, but avoided his eye contact.

"Sorry about your loss. Mr. Donaldson was a great man."

"Thanks." Before Alex could say anything he turned to the next person in line. He didn't mind that Glenn didn't want to chat. He was only here to support Sofia. Chris had finished talking to her and there was actually a small smile playing on her lips. He could see it was a sad one, but it was still a smile. He moved next to her and her smile faded as Alex pulled her into a hug. She wrapped her arms around him and put her face into his neck.

"I'm sorry Sofia." He whispered into her hair. He felt her breaking down and squeezed a little harder. He felt the tears soaking through his shirt, but nothing mattered at that moment. If she wasn't going to let go then neither was he. He could hear people whispering, but he wasn't going to let go for them. He looked up when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned and saw the funeral director, but Alex couldn't read his expression.

"Why don't you and Miss Donaldson go to the back room?" He paused and put his hand gently on Sofia's back. "It will be easier to talk." Alex nodded and pushed Sofia back a little to see her face.

"Let's go sit. You need a break." She didn't say anything, but she didn't need to. Alex took her hand and they walked to a room off the visitation room.

Alex shut the door behind them and led Sofia over to the couch. Her tears had slowed down, but Alex knew she was holding them back. He put his arm around her shoulder and sat back in the couch as he pulled her close. She kicked off her shoes and curled into him. He couldn't help remembering this was how they always use to sit. He wondered if she was thinking the same thing. They sat there quietly for a few minutes as Sofia's breathing began to become even again.

"Thank you for coming Alex."

"Anything for you Sofia." He kissed her gently on the forehead as she laid her head back on his shoulder.

"Daddy still talked about you. He was so proud of you and Chris." Alex wanted to ask why she never told him the truth about why they broke up, but he didn't have to. "I never could bring myself to tell him the reason we broke up."

"What did you tell him?" He could see her tears coming.

"I told him that I needed a break and I couldn't handle all the wrestling anymore."

"Why?"

"Because he liked you so much and I knew he thought of you as a son. He said he went down to watch you and Chris win the tag belts a few months ago."

"Yea, we had breakfast the next day."

"I feel horrible." The tears had started falling again.

"Why? You didn't do anything. This isn't your fault Sofi."

"I mean this…us." She said pointing at the two of them.

"You shouldn't. It wasn't your fault."

"It kinda was my fault."

"Why?"

"I pushed you away." The look on his face must have made her realize he was confused because she went on. "I was so in love with you that I was scared that you wouldn't want that…me. At least that is what I kept hearing."

"From who?"

"Uncle Glenn was at the house when I got back that day. I told him what happened and he said that was your way of pushing me away."

"No Sof, it wasn't like that at all. I am so in love with you and I have been since I met you. And you were always there no matter what trouble I got into. You waited until I was finally ready to be with you. I don't think I could ever love you more." He paused and looked into her eyes. "You waited for me and I will wait for you too. I'm not going anywhere Sofi." He paused again. "I am sorry I didn't say anything to those guys that day. I should have stuck up for you."

"Alex, it wasn't your fault. I overreacted. I was freaking out that day and I took it all out on you."

"What do you mean? Why were you freaking out?"

"I was late Alex." The look of confusion was plastered on Alex's face.

"What are you talking about?"

"My period…I was late Alex and I was afraid that I was pregnant."

"Were you?"

"No, it was just a false alarm."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I was afraid to tell you. I figured you would leave."

"Your uncle tell you that too?"

"No…" she paused long enough for Alex to know there was a little more. "My aunt did." Alex was pissed. Sofia's aunt and uncle had a part in sabotaging their relationship and she had looked up to them so much.

"I know it doesn't help right now, but I would have been there for you no matter what. I want us to be together." It looked like there was something on her mind, but instead Sofia just quietly for a few moments.

"I suppose I should go back out there." She paused and got off the couch. She straightened out her black pants and pulled at the gray sweater she was wearing.

"Aren't you warm with the sweater?" Alex asked knowing it wasn't cold outside and he was getting warm with the light button-up shirt he was wearing.

"No, I'm fine." She said tugging the sleeves past her hands. She looked at the door. "I really don't want to go back out there." She took a deep breath to fight back the tears.

"I'll be there for you." She smiled weakly as Alex stood up beside her and took her hand. They walked back out to see the line even longer than before. Alex sat down in a chair across from where Sofia was talking to everyone that came up to her. He had promised that he would be there for her and he wasn't going to leave until she was done.

Alex kept his promise and had stayed at the funeral home until almost 10:00 with Sofia. He had driven her back to her dad's house.

"Are you sure you don't wanna stay at my place tonight? Or I could stay here with you."

"No, I'll be okay." She paused as she opened the door. "I promise Alex." She got out and turned back to face Alex. "Thank you for coming tonight, I really appreciated it and I know my dad would be happy." She shut the door and made her way up to the house. Alex opened his door and stood up.

"Sofia!" She turned around and he could see the tears even through the darkness. He shut the door and made his way over to her. "I'm not leaving you alone tonight…no matter what you say." Before he could say or do anything else, Sofia threw her arms around him.

"Thank you Alex."


	5. Chapter 5

**_*****Disclaimer: I only own Sofia. I hope you all enjoy!*****_**

The Next Day

Alex woke up the next morning to find that he was alone in the bed. Alex and Sofia had talked all night and she had fallen asleep with her head on his shoulder. He held her all night and he couldn't help but think everything was going to be good for them. He threw the sheets down and climbed out of bed. He walked down the stairs to see Sofia sitting on the kitchen floor crying and holding her arm between her legs. She was wearing one of her dad's dress shirts, but there was something off. He walked a little closer and fear gripped his heart. There was blood on the shirt sleeve and a knife on the floor next to her.

"Sof?" When she looked at him the pain in her eyes caused his tears to come. "What are you doing?" The words came as a whisper. She rolled up her sleeve and he could see five different cut marks on her wrist, but only one was bleeding.

The sight of the cuts sent him into action. He grabbed the dish towel from the sink and wrapped it tightly around Sofia's wrist. He saw her flinch slightly at the pressure, but he didn't care. He needed to stop the bleeding. He picked her up and carried her to the car.

"Put me down Alex!" She yelled through the tears. He set her down in the passenger seat and ran around to the driver's side. He drove as fast as he could to the emergency room. "I want to go home!" Sofia was still yelling at him to stop the car, but it only made him speed up.

"No! You need to go get stitches to stop the bleeding!" He yelled right back.

"I have to get ready!" Alex didn't say anything as the car sped down the road. "Pull the damn car over or…" she paused to think of something to say. "Or I will jump out!"

"The hell you will!" Alex sped up a little more as he saw the signs for the emergency room. Less than a minute later he pulled the car into a parking space in front of the doors and turned off the ignition. "Are you going to walk or do I need to carry you in?" She wouldn't even look at him, but that wasn't what was bothering him at that moment. All he cared about was her well-being.

"I'll walk." He noticed then that her shoulders had dropped and her voice was calm. He walked to the other side and opened her door. She stood up and the tears flowed from her eyes. "I can't miss the funeral."

"Don't worry Sof. You won't miss it. I promise." They walked in and up to the nurse station.

"What can I do for you?" The elderly nurse asked as she set her pen down. Alex looked over at Sofia, who was starting to look a little pale.

"My friend cut her arm and needs stitches." Before the nurse could say anything Sofia fell to the ground. In a matter of seconds there were 3 or 4 nurses and doctors hovering around her.

"What happened?" One of the doctors asked as they situated Sofia on a gurney.

"When I woke up I found her on the kitchen floor with a cut on her left wrist and a knife on the floor next to her. I tied the towel on and drove her here."

"Was it an accident?" Alex thought back to the other cuts he had noticed.

"I can't be exactly sure, but I don't think so. Her dad just died and his funeral is today. She needs to be there."

"We'll do the best we can, but there are no guarantees." He followed the gurney to a room that Alex knew was off limits to him. He grabbed his phone and dialed his mom and dad's number. He didn't know what to do and he feared the worst would happen if Sofia missed her dad's funeral.

"_Hello," _the groggy voice of his mom broke through his thoughts.

"Hey mom," he said fighting back the tears.

"_Patrick, what's wrong?"_ The concern in her voice broke his strength.

"It's Sofia. She's in the hospital and she might not be able to be at her dad's funeral."

"_What happened Patrick?" _Alex took a deep breath and explained what he knew.

"If I hadn't insisted on staying last night she'd be dead right now."

"_Don't think about that. Sofia needs you now more than anything. You go and be with her and I will take care of the funeral and your sister will bring you and Sofia some clothes for the service."_

"Thanks Mom."

"_You are welcome. Now go be with Sofia." _As Alex hung up the phone he saw a nurse walk up to him. It was the desk nurse.

"How is she?" Alex asked nervously.

"She's doing okay. She fainted earlier from a lack of food and hydration. We got her all stitched up, but the doctor would like to keep her here for a little while to make sure she can keep down some food and water."

"Can I go be with her?"

"Of course you may." She paused and grabbed a clipboard. She scanned it quickly before finding the number she wanted. "She is in room 152."

"Thank you." Alex said as he walked away to find the room. He walked slowly trying to figure out what to say. They had no problems talking the night before, but this wasn't going to be an easy conversation. He paused when he got to the room.

Through a crack in the door he could see Sofia lying on the bed with her eyes closed, but he knew she wasn't sleeping. He knocked twice before walking in. She didn't even open her eyes when he stopped by the bed. He cleared his throat, but she still laid there without acknowledging him. He sat down next to the bed. Before he could say anything she grabbed his hand. He looked at her and could see the tears falling from her closed eyes.

"I'm sorry Alex."

"Why? What happened Sof?" She finally opened her eyes and looked at him. The sparkle that used to fill her eyes was gone. She looked lost, confused, and hurt.

"Why my dad?" It wasn't a question surrounded by anger, but one of helplessness. "I know it's horrible to say, but I wish it was someone else." Alex knew Sofia would never wish harm on anyone, but why did it have to happen to her family…again.

"But why now? Last night you seemed to be doing okay."

"I was…talking with you helped. But when I woke up after the 12th nightmare I wasn't sure how to go on another day."

"It won't be easy Sofia, but I will be there for you and Chris and our families will be there too. You will never be alone Sofia." He paused. "Oh and Megan will be there for you too." The look on Sofia's face made him realize he said something wrong. "What? What did I say?"

"Alex…Megan and I haven't talked in over a year." Alex was shocked, first because he didn't know and secondly because she had been at the park 2 days before saying she had been at the hospital with Sofia.

"But I saw her at the park 2 days ago. Why haven't you talked in over a year?"

"We had a huge fight over you and we haven't talked since. I'm sorry I didn't tell you then." He squeezed her hand.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. It isn't your fault I didn't know. And just because Megan and you aren't friends doesn't mean she doesn't still care about you. Maybe you two can even…"

"Am I going to be able to go to the funeral?" Before he could give her an answer there was a knock on the door.

"Of course you will dear."

"Mrs. Martin…" Alex's mom walked in with a duffel bag full of clothes.

"I called Father Alan and he said they would push back the ceremony until you can get there. Jessica went over to the house and grabbed you some clothes to change into."

"Thank you."

"Oh, I'm not done yet." Alex smiled at his mom. "You will be coming to live with Mr. Martin and I until we feel like you are back on your feet. There is no timeline for you to be out."

"I don't…" she paused as she looked at the seriousness in Alex's mother's eyes. "I don't know how to repay you."

"There will be no cutting or forcing yourself to throw-up. You also need to start eating better so this fainting thing stops. We want you to be happy, that is the only repayment we need." Alex looked at his mom and then back to Sofia. "Do we have a deal?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Good. Now I'm going to go talk to the doctor about when we can get you out of here." Alex got up and followed her out the door.

"Thanks Mom." He gave her a hug.

"No need to thank me. It is the least I can do for my future daughter-in-law." Alex smiled. He liked the sound of that. He knew there was a lot for them to catch up on, but everything would work out for them.

"How do you feel?" Alex asked as he walked back into the room.

"Stupid. I can't believe I'm in the hospital because I tried to kill myself." There was the truth. He had figured, but now she had actually come out and said it.

"You are NOT stupid Sofia. You are hurting…"

"But that isn't a good reason, especially after everything you've said and done for me." She paused and motioned for Alex to come over by her. He sat on the edge of the bed and took his hand. "I love you Alex…and I always will."

"I love you too Sofia…forever and for always." They sat there for a few minutes quietly talking about what happened that led her to cut her wrist 5 different times. Alex looked to the door to see his mom and a doctor talking. "Be right back." He stood up and walked out to them. "So when can she leave?" The doctor looked at him and frowned.

"I don't think it's a good idea." Alex looked at his mom who was practically glaring at the doctor.

"Why not?"

"There were 5 different cuts on her wrist. What is she does it again?"

"She won't."

"How can you be sure? Unstable people do a lot of crazy, stupid things." Alex was pissed.

"She's not unstable! She made a fucking mistake!" He yelled back at the doctor.

"And what is to say it won't happen again?"

"She told me it won't."

"But weren't you with her last night and this morning when it happened?" Alex was speechless for a minute.

"In the past 3 years she has lost everyone that she has ever loved…including me. But now I am back and not going anywhere. She won't have an opportunity to feel alone…EVER!" He paused and started back into the room before turning around. "Get her release papers ready. We are leaving!" He shut the door behind him.

"I can leave?" Alex smiled.

"Yea, go get ready."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome Sof."


	6. Chapter 6

**_******Disclaimer: I only own Sofia. This is the last chapter. I hope you all enjoyed reading the story. Thanks for the hits and reviews! I appreciate them all!******_**

The Funeral

He shouldn't have been surprised when they pulled up to the Church, but the number of people standing outside was incredible. He looked over at Sofia and saw tears welling in her eyes.

"You okay?" The next thing that came from her mouth surprised him more than the number of people.

"Yea, I'm fine." She said laughing a little. "Look at all the people who came out here on this rainy day to pay their respects to my dad."

"Everyone loved him."

"Yes they did. Do you blame them?"

"Not at all Sofi. He was one of the best men I had ever met."

"Do you remember the first time you met him?"

"Yea, he was in his first year as the mayor and it was a tour of the office. What was that 7th grade?" Sofia thought back to the day she met Alex.

"Yea, we were 12." Alex laughed as they got out of the car.

"I was so lost and didn't know where my class had gone. I still can't believe that I walked into his office as you guys were taking pictures."

"I'm pretty sure you are the reason security was tightened. If a 12 year old could get in…anyone could." Alex couldn't even argue with her, but the best part of that day was meeting his best friend. "I'm glad you decided to open the wrong door. I was getting so bored." Alex grabbed her hand and led her to the priest's office.

"So glad you are here." Father Alan said getting up and hugging her.

"Thank you for holding the funeral a little bit for me."

"Of course, it is my pleasure. Are you ready?" She took a deep breath and shook her head. She looked over at Alex who gave her a small smile.

"As ready as I'll ever be." Father Alan walked out to give them a minute together.

"I'll wait for you…"

"Stay with me."

"What do you mean?"

"I want you by my side."

"Okay, with you always." They walked out and the funeral began. Alex was by Sofia the entire time holding her hand. It was a beautiful service for a wonderful man. A few different people stood up to speak to the congregation about William Donaldson. Alex peeked over at Sofia a few times to see tears and smiles throughout the entire service. Right before it was over he noticed Father Alan nod towards Sofia. She got up and walked to the lectern.

"For those that don't know me, my name is Sofia Donaldson. William Donaldson was my father. I want to thank everyone inside and the crowd gathered outside for coming to celebrate the life of my father. He was a great man and an amazing father. He taught me so much about kindness and love. He was never one to turn anyone away and he absolutely loved being the mayor here in Detroit. If you never knew him personally, just remember that he loved 2 things more than anything in his life…his family and the city of Detroit." She paused and looked towards the casket. "Thank you for everything Daddy. Miss you and love you always." She walked back to her seat to a standing ovation. She sat down in between Alex and Chris.

After the service Chris drove her and Alex to the cemetery where Sofia's mom was buried. Alex still had not said anything to Sofia since the funeral began. They walked quietly to the spot where they were already placing the casket. He wasn't sure what to say, but felt that holding her hand was good for right now. They sat down for the burial and stayed until everyone had left. Even then it took a minute or two before Sofia stood to say her good-bye. She walked over and set her hands on the casket.

"Thank you for everything Daddy. Tell Mom I say hi and love you. Oh and Alex came back into my life. I should probably thank you for that too. I'll see you again someday Daddy. I love you!" She kissed the casket. Then walked back over to Alex and smiled through the tears.

"What are you smiling about?" He asked quietly.

"Even after he dies he makes sure I'll be okay."

"What do you mean?" Before he could stop her she reached into his pocket and pulled out a box. "I've had that since…"

"I know Alex. And I can't wait until you ask me. I want us to be together."

"Don't worry about that one. We will be together forever."


End file.
